Jasmine
by CloakedInBlue
Summary: A total PWP, 'just because' sort of moment.  Zuko is pensive, and charming without even trying.


The wind picked up as I walked towards her, ruffling her hair and sending white flowers dancing about her face. There was a smile, just a slight one, as she leaned more heavily against the tree, closed her eyes, and let a sigh escape her lips to mingle with the breeze. It was contentment, real and pure, and I wondered if I would ever have the chance to embrace it as well.

The sounds of the others setting up camp left me more and more with each step that took me closer to her; it was funny, almost, how the noises that accompanied the rolling out of sleeping bags and the unpacking of pots and pans had started to comfort me.

I stopped when I reached her side, letting my gaze wander to the mountains in front of us, tinged absurd colors of pink and orange from the lowering sun. The whisper of the breeze brought with it more flowers that blew where they liked; namely, right into my face. As I scrunched up my face, snorting and spewing the ones that found themselves near my nose and mouth, I heard the slightest semblance of a laugh. Turning (and still batting away the fragrant white offenders), I saw her sideways glance through barely opened eyes, her smile deeper than it had been before.

"You know, they're all over you too," I told her.

"Yeah, but you don't see me making ridiculous faces like that."

Plopping down beside her, I mumbled something about her face always being ridiculous under my breath.

"You've definitely been around Sokka too long if that's the best you can come up with." And I knew she was right. Which led to more grumbling on my part.

Her eyes slid shut once more, and so I resumed looking at her unabashedly. The flowers had nestled themselves in her hair, her shoulders, her lap. I imagined her falling asleep under the tree and waking up completely covered. Ha.

And so I cupped a handful of blossoms from the ground and spilled more of them onto her. And I wondered why I did it. Kept on doing it.

By the second handful I knew she was watching me and I only vaguely wondered why she didn't stop me. The pile in her lap grew steadily, a snowy mound lighter than air. It became almost a subconscious act; one handful after another.

"This _could_ just be me, but I'm not sure that this is how the whole guy-giving-girl-flowers-thing is supposed to go." My hand stayed and I could feel myself going just a little red despite the smirk on her lips and the glint in her eye.

"….…Sorry."

She quickly followed up my apology with, "But it's the thought that counts, right? And these _are_ my favorite. So thank you, Zuko."

I looked for some sign that she was still joking and found none. Her blue, blue eyes were all sincerity and warmth, and Agni, how could blue eyes be so _warm_?

Of course, I couldn't think of anything more intelligent than, "Um…..", and of course my breathing nearly stopped when she rolled her eyes and ducked in to quickly to place a soft kiss on my cheek.

I couldn't do much as she gave me a warm smile then stood, causing every single one of those flowers to cascade onto my hair, my shoulders, my lap. I blinked through them, watching as she walked back towards the others with jasmine still in her hair.

* * *

**A/N: **

Hey all! So, if you're reading this, you've just finished reading my first-ever published story here on . Very first! I've been a looong time reader here, but some extremely excellent stories that I've read lately have inspired me to get some of my own stuff on here. And so, I would love to know what you (as in the collective as well as the singular) think. Bad, good, just so-so? Constructive criticism is my friend.

So now that I've bitten the proverbial bullet and submitted something, there will probably be more short stories/one-shots to follow in the near future. Opening of the floodgates, and all that.

Thanks so much for reading/reviewing!

-CloakedInBlue **  
**

(Edit: I don't own anything that belongs to Bryan and Mike and Nickelodeon. So, alas, I cannot claim any of these wonderful characters.) 


End file.
